Lorna McGhee

Scottish-born Lorna McGhee was formerly co-principal flute of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a position she held until emigrating to Canada in 1998. She has performed as guest principal with many leading orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Pittsburgh Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra. As a soloist, she has given concerto performances with the London Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, as well as orchestras in the United States and Canada. Most notably, she performed Penderecki's Flute Concerto with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra under the baton of Krzysztof Penderecki himself in 2004. The same year, she performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with Heidi Krutzen at the NFA Convention.

As a chamber musician and recitalist, she has performed throughout Europe and North America and most recently Australia. Her recitals have been broadcast on CBC Radio (Canada), BBC Radio (UK), NPR (USA), ABC (Australia), and Netherlands Radio. She has made chamber music recordings for EMI, Decca, ASV, Naxos, and Meridian. Along with duo partner Heidi Krutzen, she has released two CDs on Skylark Music: Taheke, 20th Century Masterpieces for Flute and Harp and Canada , New Works for Flute and Harp. Both discs include the duo’s own commissions. McGhee is a member of Trio Verlaine. Their first CD, Fin de Siècle, the music of Debussy and Ravel was released on Skylark Music in March 2008.

McGhee currently teaches at the University of British Columbia and also holds the International Fellow in Flute, a visiting teaching position at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. She has given master classes in Europe, Canada, and the USA at such venues as the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music, The Banff Centre, William Bennett International Summer School, and the 2007 National Flute Convention. Her principal teachers were David Nicholson and William Bennett. McGhee studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence. She has since been awarded the honorary title of Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to her flute playing, McGhee also enjoys literature and the great outdoors – in particular, the wonderful scenery of British Columbia.